There are so many things to spend money on when on a trip: flight, accommodation, feeding, health care, and much more. How about hiking or kayaking? They all cost money, so the last thing you would want to do is spend the little you have on expensive flight tickets.

Thankfully, there are several websites and apps that make it easy to find flight deals. The drawback, however, with these sites and apps is that navigating them can be overwhelming.

If you haven’t had much luck finding scintillating flight deals, brace up – your lot is about to change for good.

Here are tested and proven tips to find cheap tickets.

#1. Start your search on flight comparison sites

Flight comparison sites still work like crazy, even though some travelers believe otherwise. One major drawback with comparison sites is that the data they provide is sometimes inaccurate. But that doesn’t mean they don’t you should dump them. A good number of sites provide precise data you can trust.

The key is to look up two to three sites when searching. Here are some of my favorite sites:

#2. Be flexible with your booking

When scouring the web for great flight deals, it makes sense to be flexible. Be flexible with your departure date, time of departure, and even travel destination, if possible.

As a rule of thumb, start your search at least 53 days to your departure date. That way, you will have ample space to increase your chances of finding cheap airfares.

#3. Avoid peak periods

This is a no-brainer – airline tickets, both international and domestic, soar during holiday periods due to the surge in demand. So, when planning your holiday, knock off major holiday dates from your calendar.

But if you must travel during this period, purchase your tickets way ahead of time.

#4. Sign up to a mailing list

I know I know! Those junk and spammy mails that clutter your inbox are irksome, and now I am asking you to go get some more.

Well my friend, you just have to make compromises when hunting for cheap flight tickets. What I can assure you is that the mailing services I recommend here won’t load your mail box with irrelevant mails.

Some of the best mailing services I can vouch for include:

Yapta: Best if you’re looking to save money on international flights and hotel reservation

Airfarewatchdog: Just like Yapta, Airfarewatchdog also publishes flight and hotel deals.

#5. Break up your trip

Say you are traveling from Sydney to Hawaii and pressed of time, taking a direct flight is the surest thing to do. But if you have got ample time and want to save money, breaking up that long haul flights is the way to go.

An airline could charge $1000 to fly you from LA to Paris. But if you broke that flight up, you could pay $600 to Dublin and $100 to Paris. Getting the idea?

#6. Cut down on luggage

Some airlines charge you for seat and the luggage you carry. To beat them at their own game, carry just one luggage at a time.

But if this isn’t feasible, look for airlines that don’t charge for luggage – yes, there are lots of them out there. If you can’t, book flights way ahead of time and pay for your luggage at the same time. You will be charged more if you paid on the day of departure.

#7. Hunt for early morning flights

Remember, flexibility is key to traveling cheap. When planning your flights, hunt early morning flights as they are generally cheaper for an obvious reason: there are fewer passengers. The next best hour of the day to schedule a flight is during the evenings.

#8. Leverage student’s discount

Airlines offer students, both those in high school and college, mouth-watering discounts on flight tickets. How sweet!

Not sure how to get started with finding student flight deals? Head over to Student Universe – they have got loads of hot deals.

#9. Follow airlines on their social media handle

Airlines are notorious for giving away short-lived flight deals to their customers via social media. On the average, this deals barely stay up to an hour before being taken down. So it is a game of fastest finger first.

#10. Follow budget airlines closely

Ever heard of budget carriers? They are airlines that charge far lower than what conventional airlines charge. You might have to sacrifice the leg room, on-board meals, and luggage space conventional airlines offer.

One major drawback with budget carriers is that their coverage isn’t expansive, in that they don’t cover all major international airports. So, before boarding one, check to see if its final stop is close enough to your final destination.

Some of the popular budget carriers include:

Sprint Airlines, Southwest and Jetblue (US)

Jetstar, Air Asia and Jet Star (Asia)

Easy jet, Wow Air, Ryanair (Europe)

#11. Check the location of the airports (arrival)

When booking a flight, it pays to check exactly where an airport is located. There are two major reasons why you want to do this.

Some airlines charge less to fly to certain airports in the same region – an ample opportunity to save.

The closer the airport is to your hotel/lodge, the better. You wouldn’t want to spend your travel budget on bus and taxi fare.

#12. One way tickets sometimes beat return ticket

Before booking a flight, first compare the cost of purchasing two one-way tickets with return ticket. You would be surprised how this simple action will save you money.

#13. Check for flight fare errors

Yes. Airlines make mistakes – C’mon they are manned by humans. It will sure be a disappointing experience to discover that the $100 discount you saw on the website of an airline was a mistake later on.

To avoid such mishaps, check skyscanner flights and the other flight comparison sites previously discussed.

Wrapping things up

Just like shopping, hunting flight deals can be fun. Even done properly, you can travel the world and catch fun even when on a string budget.